Speaking of Friends... and Car Trouble...

So... get this...!

I pick up a pair of "regulars" this morning - 6:15 a.m. sharp - to take to Westchester County Airport where they're booked on an 8:50 a.m. flight to Florida.

All is well... we're traversing Rockland County... and I hear a kinda "tsk-tsk-tsk" sound.

(Note... I'm driving "Sammie" - Mary's Sonata. - not "Hank.")

Anyway, we're passing a truck as I hear the sound and then once we'd gotten past the truck the noise seemed to go away. (So... I'm thinking... "Must have been the truck.")

Nope. (*SIGH*) It wasn't the truck.

We're going over the TZ Bridge... almost to the tolls... all of a sudden the car starts riding rough... I get through the "no stop" toll lane... and the engine just dies. (Luckily I was able to coast to the extreme right "breakdown area.")

Sammie... is... dead.

By this I mean that I have electric power, but every time the engine turns over it'll only catch for a second before dying. (And yes... I had near a full tank of gas; no... it was "the car" and not a car tire.)

So... what to do? Two passengers who need to get to the airport within the next 45 minutes and we're stuck on the highway (no taxis!) a good 12 minutes from the airport.

(Thank GOD they weren't going to LGA or JFK!)

Anyway... 7:15 a.m... I call Phil - who lives in Rockland... funny enough, perhaps 12 minutes away from where were we were stuck. I fill him in on my situation and within 20 minutes he's pulling up behind Sammie and helping me transfer my passengers' luggage to his car... and then he takes them to the airport while I call Hyundai to arrange for a tow to the nearest dealership. The car is under warranty... no big deal, right?

WRONG!

Where Sammie died... maybe 100 ft. from the first exit off the bridge... this was deemed "restricted highway" where only "permitted" trucks could tow me... at a cost of $70... perhaps 100 yards... to the "local" roadway.

Now, folks... here's where my buddy Phil went above and beyond...!!! I'm sitting in my car steaming... waiting for the "permitted" truck... when Phil calls to report all is well, he's dropped my passengers off at the airport, and he's on his way back towards the bridge. I tell him my deal and then tell him I'll drop by his place later on as soon as I have the cars taken care of. (My intention was to show him my appreciation in a more concrete form than a simple "thanks.")

As we're chatting Phil says to me, "Hey... look up... down the road... in front of you."

Well... who is walking back to my car from the exit ramp but Phil!

Next think you know, we two "old guys" are PUSHING Sammie down the highway (using the breakdown lane of course) in order to "beat" the "permit only tow fee." Indeed, as we were huffing and puffing and pushing, the wreaker arrived... and the guy not only said it was fine with him... he also said he'd stay behind us to make sure we made it!

We did! (Well... almost!) At the very end of the exit ramp intersection to the local road there was a dip. We may or may not have been able to muscle the car over the hump, but we didn't have to. After the wreaker guy was so kind as to offer to shadow us I had tipped him. Now... at this point where we were momentarily stuck... he whipped around in front of Sammie, quickly "hooked her up," and deposited her in the parking lot of the dinner that was the first business right there off the exit! (What a NICE friggin' guy, huh?!)

Anyway... now all that was left to do was wait for the wreaker Hyundai was sending... wait in the diner... eating breakfast... including a morning cocktail for me!

An hour and a half later Sammie was in route to the conveniently located (for Mary's purposes) Nanuet Hyundai while Phil and I were off back to his house so he could shower and prepare for work this afternoon.... and then PRIOR to heading to work Phil drove me home to Harriman!

GOD... BLESS.... YOU... PHIL...! 

Nanuet Hyundai's service department is actually open today... till 2:00 p.m.... so within the next half I should know what the hell happened. (One hint: They told me over the phone when I spoke to them upon reaching home that there was a recall on my brake system computer. I'm guessing this is the problem. If not... the car is still under warranty so at least there's that. Even if it's not fixed today - which I'm certainly not counting on - the service person I spoke to said they'd start work bright and early on Monday morning so Mary can pick the car up after work!)